Corona unit with a tapered passageway of flectrically nonconductive material betweenconductive housings thatare electrically interconnected

Claim 1

A CORONA UNIT FOR ELECTROSTATICALLY CHARGING A CARRIER MEMBER HAVING A LAYER OF PHOTOACTIVE MATERIAL SERVING AS A CHARGEABLE LAYER IN AN ELECTROSTATIC PHOTOCOPYING PROCESS COMPRISING: (A) A PAIR OF U-SHAPED ELONGATED HOUSINGS OF CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL MOUNTED GENERALLY PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER AND ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TOGETHER WITH OPEN SIDES FACING EACH OTHER AND HAVING ADJACENT SIDE WALLS, SAID SIDE WALLS OF THE RESPECTIVE HOUSINGS DEFINING OPPOSED OPENINGS AND BEING SPACED APART SUFFICIENTLY TO ENABLE THE CARRIER MEMBER TO PASS BETWEEN SAID HOUSINGS IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE LONGITUDINAL DIMENSION OF SAID HOUSINGS; (B) A CORONA DISCHARGE MEMBER MOUNTED IN EACH OF SAID HOUSINGS AND INSULATED THEREFROM; (C) MEANS FOR CONNECTING A SOURCE OF ENERGIZING POTENTIAL BETWEEN SAID CORONA DISCHARGE MEMBERS, WITH SAID CORONA DISCHARGE MEMBERS BEING EFFECTIVE TO APPLY THROUGH SAID OPENINGS AN ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE TO A CARRIER MEMBER PASSING BETWEEN SAID HOUSINGS; AND (D) INSULATING MEANS FORMING A TAPERED PASSAGEWAY BETWEEN SAID HOUSINGS CONVERGENT IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIER MEMBER PROVIDING A RELATIVELY WIDE ENTRANCE OPENING BETWEEN SAID HOUSINGS TO PERMIT EASY INGRESS OF SAID CARRIER MEMBER AND A COMPARATIVELY NARROW EXIT OPENING BETWEEN SAID HOUSINGS FOR EGRESS OF SAID CARRIER MEMBER TO IMPROVE UNIFORMITY OF THE ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE ON SAID CARRIER MEMBER, SAID INSULATING MEANS ALSO SERVING TO PREVENT THE CARRIER MEMBER FROM CONTACTING ANY CONDUCTIVE PORTION OF SAID HOUSINGS AND SAID CORONA DISCHARGE MEMBERS AS THE CARRIER MEMBER MOVES THROUGH THE CORONA UNIT, SAID INSULATING MEANS BEING DISCONTINUOUS TO PROVIDE FOR THE SUBSTANTIALLY UNBLOCKED, UNIFORM APPLICATION OF THE ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE BY SAID CORONA DISCHARGE MEMBERS AS THE CARRIER MEMBER PASSES BETWEEN SAID HOUSINGS.